Matchmaker
by WhiteWednesday
Summary: Kaoru is a matchmaker extraordinaire. So when she met Kenshin Himura she saw him as only a challenge. Little did she know what she was getting herself into.
1. Chapter 1

Unfortunately, no, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

**Summary: **Kaoru is a matchmaker extraordinaire. So when she met Kenshin Himura she saw him as only a challenge. Little did she know what she was getting herself into.

Cupid's Secret

Chapter One:

Easy Match

Matchmaking has always been something that Kaoru just did. It was like some type of intuition told her when two people were meant to be together. As she grew older, Kaoru's talents evolved from playground marriages to homecoming dates to serious relationships. She always did it secretly of course. No one had figured her out. Not then. Not now. Not ever.

At least. That's what she thought.

"Sano, pass the soy sauce."

"Sure no problem… oops"

"SANO you did NOT just spill soy sauce over my clothes!"

"Look fox, it was an accident…"

"Yes an accident you will have to pay for."

"Hey wait a minute here…"

"You _still_ haven't passed the soy sauce."

"Kid, we're busy."

"Don't call me kid!"

Too tired to join in, Kaoru rubbed her sore feet that hadn't seen a break for the last seven and a half hours. It was fun to help out her older friend Tae in her restaurant but sometimes it had its disadvantages. Like today for instance. One of Tae's waitresses had run off with her boyfriend and as always, it was busy in the Akebeko so the young boss was in-between a rock and a hard place.

Looking behind her arguing adopted family, Kaoru smiled at the somewhat happy couple sitting a few tables away. There was Misao mouth moving constantly with a slight blush on her face and Aoshi sitting calmly across from her allowing a small amount of amusement to show around the corners of his mouth.

"Hey, Kaoru, what are you grinning about?" Yahiko questioned as Sano and Megumi continued their argument.

"Oh, nothing."

_Earlier_

"Hello, welcome to the Akebeko. Can I get you a drink?"

The black haired man looked up from his menu and Kaoru looked into his startling blue eyes.

"Yes, I would like just a coffee. Black." His face and his eyes held no emotion yet his look sent chills down her spine.

"Coming right up!" Kaoru smiled and walked off. Aoshi was a frequent customer at the Akebeko. The man was stunning but not really her type. Seeing him almost everyday (she was always either eating or serving at the Akebeko) she had gotten to know him pretty well. As well as you can know a guy nicknamed the 'iceman' that is. He was a nice guy; a well known business man but at the same time, he was so cold and stiff. Not mean, just distant. All he needed, Kaoru was sure, was just a little fun…

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T take care, TCB Oh!"

"Stop it Misao, you'll scare away the customers." Kaoru grinned at her best friend as she entered the kitchen; the one place after the Fire Incident, she was not allowed in except to take dishes out. Misao however, after the Dishes Disaster, was confined to the kitchen for the time being.

"GRR I'm going crazy locked up in here! C'mon let me out! You know I'm a good waitress. I promise I won't do anything stupid like last time. Let me have some fun!"

_Wait a minute. _

"You know what Misao. You're right you _do _deserve a second chance. Here take this to the table next to the left window." Misao looked at her blankly. Kaoru shoved the coffee in her hands and pushed her forward, "Just go."

"Whatever. You are acting weird again." And with that Misao slipped out the door.

Kaoru smiled evily, even though this was all on a total whim, she had a good feeling that it could work out. Peeking out through the window, Kaoru watched Misao approach the guy. And then stop. Dead in her tracks.

_What's going on?_ Kaoru left the kitchen to get a better view. Misao's eyes were fastened on the unsuspecting victim …err… customer. Her mouth slightly hanging ajar, she stood there, stock still. And that was the scary thing --- Misao was standing still.

Without thinking of the consequences, Kaoru rushed forward, knocking Misao and the hot beverage into Aoshi's lap. Both gasped in shock and probably the burn of the coffee.

"I'm SO sorry! I really didn't mean to. I know I'm clumsy, I didn't know I was _that _clumsy." Misao glared at Kaoru who was just thankful that her friend had regained composure of her mouth. "But that's no excuse! This is my first time out of the kitchen and see what I've done? I can't believe this! Sano will never let me live this down… I'm so sorry it will never happen again just please don't tell Tae. At least the coffee cooled but look at your suit…"

"I'm Aoshi Shinomori." Aoshi stuck out his hand.

"Hi, I'm Misao."

And with that Kaoru slinked away.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I am way too broke to own Rurouni Kenshin. _

Cupid's Secret

Chapter Two:

Alley Adventure

The dingy smell of trains and the city filled her nostrils as she once again took a deep breath. _Patience is a virtue_ she reminded herself for about the seven hundredth time. The bus was late again, and she would to actually get somewhere on time for once. Just once. That was all she was asking for.

Flipping through a chick magazine, barely even glancing at the pages, she waited a few more seconds and then finally gave up. Dusting off the invisible dust off of her fading jeans and picking up her purse, she got up from her seat on a bench and waded through the crowd on the sidewalk, determined to find a shortcut.

_Now if I go here and then cross here this should get me there and now all I have to do is just turn…here._

Kaoru looked down at the mentioned "here" and found herself staring into a dark alleyway. You know the type; the ones in all of the movies when the sweet, innocent girl goes in and no one sees her ever again. The type where thugs and criminals hang out just waiting for victims… you get the gist.

_Okay, time for plan B…_

Then Kaoru looked at her watch, and found out she didn't have the _time_ for plan B. She stepped in the alley. _See, this isn't so bad!_ Step number two followed step number one and the next thing she knew, Kaoru was walking (slowly, admittedly, but walking) down the middle of the dark, creepy alley. _How could you be such a chicken? I mean c'mon, you know that movies exaggerate all those things anyways. _

The sound of footsteps echoed behind her and Kaoru found herself speeding up and then she slowed herself down. _Calm down, I mean it! _The footsteps got closer and closer but abruptly stopped and Kaoru almost turned around but then they continued, much softer but a little faster until they were right behind her and a hand touched her shoulder and

BAM!

Kaoru whacked her assailant with her purse. A fact that as a kendo instructor, she would have been a little bit more proud of if her eyes had been open. Now, she opened them triumphantly, eager to see her victim. _Hmph I bet whoever it was was not expecting that!_ To horror, there was not a dirty, grungy man in rags with a gun was at her feet but a clean man in a pressed suit and tie with a suitcase. Red pooled behind his head even though Kaoru hadn't thought she had hit him that hard.

Now, Kaoru didn't want to discriminate but she was pretty sure that he wasn't going to mug her.

"OMG I'm so sorry!" she practically yelled.

Which the man only responded with "Oro"

Slowly, he peeled himself off the ground, waving off Kaoru's help. Now that he was standing she could see (and kicked herself for her stupidity) that the dark red wasn't blood but long auburn hair. His bangs where long; almost completely covering his violet eyes that were tinged with blue. His face was smooth, almost feminine except for a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek.

He was not just cute or the highschool definition of "hot". No, this man was beautiful. And possibly bruised. Could this day not get any worse?

"I'm sorry!" she gushed feeling her face turn as red as his hair. "I just, I just wassolateandthetrainwasevenlatersoifoundashortcutbutitwasdarkandcreepyandyou'veseenallthosemoviesandtheniheardfootstepsandtheonlyweaponihadwasmybagand…."

He stopped her with a quiet laugh. "It's fine. I should have been more careful." He took a glance at her still very horrified face. "I'd be happy to escort you the rest of the way." He said this all in a good Samaritan kind of way and sounded like he could be trusted but her mother had always warned her about men in dark alleys…

However, she didn't want to appear rude. Actually, she didn't have _time_ to appear rude so she consented because she didn't want to walk alone anyway. He smiled and started walking ahead. A movement out of the corner of her eye caused her to stop and turn around.

What she saw surprised her. In the corner slightly covered by garbage, lied a thug, just like the one Kaoru imagined when she hit the guy with her bag, beginning to regain consciousness with fresh bruises all over his face.

She looked at the man before her; with his mysterious looks and unreadable presence and the man at her feet.

"Hey you'd better hurry up before you get mugged by another business man." He teased, stopping for her to catch up.

A huge part of being a matchmaker was being able to read people. And this guy was completely indefinable. He seemed nice enough but there was something about him that seemed a little off. Like he was holding back.

As she stared into his violet orbs, she couldn't help feeling that what she was seeing was only the surface.

_Who **is **this guy?_


End file.
